Why Can’t I Stop Compulsive Eating?
Compulsive eating is an issue for many people. It is a coping mechanism that can be difficult to stop, mainly because we may not realize why we eat when we feel an urge, even when not hungry. The urge is consuming, and our emotions dictate when and how much we eat instead of physical hunger. While overcoming compulsive eating may seem insurmountable, it is indeed [...]
Abandonment Anxiety: What It Is and How to Overcome It
Abandonment anxiety is an informal term used to describe a strong fear of losing a loved one or being rejected or deserted by the people you care about. It is not a medical diagnosis. Signs Of Abandonment Anxiety Abandonment anxiety can manifest in many different ways. These signs can vary in intensity and frequency. Some possibilities include: fear of intimacy and getting close to people [...]
Tips for Cultivating a Healthy Attachment Style
Relationships come in all shapes and sizes, and they also vary in their quality. Not all relationships are enriching, meaningful, connected, or safe. That happens for a variety of reasons, but it is also not a permanent or unchangeable state. One key to having fulfilling relationships is to have a healthy attachment style. While this doesn’t guarantee a great relationship, it certainly sets you [...]
Frequently Asked Questions About Attachment and Attachment-Based Therapy
An attachment is a close emotional bond between two people. The earliest one, and the one that determines how well you can relate to others later in life, is the emotional bond formed during infancy between you and the parent or primary caregiver. This is the person you were dependent on to meet your most basic needs for comfort, security, and survival. The nature and [...]
Signs of a Toxic Mother Daughter Relationship
How do you and your mom get along? Are you and your daughter enjoying one another? We are deeply relational and social beings, which is why the state of our relationships has such an overwhelming impact on our well-being. Even if other areas of our lives are going well, if our closest relationships are in disarray, it’s likely that we won’t feel happy or [...]
Learning to Trust After Trauma: Spotting People’s Green Flags
Many of us know what it feels like to have been traumatized by a toxic relationship, whether it was romantic, platonic, or professional. It might have been an overly critical partner, a bullying boss, or a manipulative best friend who caused emotional damage, leaving us with low self-esteem and trust issues. Even if it’s hard, moving past this can help. It’s important to move [...]
Getting a Divorce Doesn’t Mean You’re a Failure
Most divorced people refer to their marriages as “failures.” They identify as “a divorcee” as if it is a shameful scarlet letter that they feel obligated to wear. Divorce – the word comes with a lot of baggage and weight. Shame Disappointment Regret Somewhere along the way, society began equating success in marriage solely with longevity, as if lasting forever is the only sign [...]
The Physical Impact of Neglecting Your Boundaries
Some people have no issue maintaining their boundaries. They’re decisive, assertive, and have no problem using “no” as a complete sentence. For many others, however, personal boundaries are a complex issue. If you have struggled to speak your mind, share your point of view, stand up for yourself in conflict, or if you constantly put others’ needs ahead of your own, you have probably [...]
Maintaining Intimacy While Long-Distance Dating
The world keeps changing at such a brisk pace that it can be hard to keep up with. There are new technologies and applications of those technologies that come up quite regularly, and they can change how we work, live, and connect with others. The buzz these days is around artificial intelligence, a technology that carries both promise and danger. Whatever is happening with technology, [...]
Overcoming Social Anxiety that Comes With Being Single
Nothing is more frustrating for a single person than seeing others easily forming relationships or enjoying social circles while you feel stuck, anxious, or out of place. For you, social anxiety about being single makes even the simplest social interactions feel impossible. It’s the easiest thing in the world to fall into the trap of believing something is wrong with you at these times in [...]